Perfect Timing
by Chezza
Summary: Timing is everything....


Title: Perfect Timing  
  
Author: Chezza  
  
E-mail: cyberchezza@tiscali.co.uk  
  
Status: Complete  
  
Sequel/Series: None  
  
Summary: Timing is everything….  
  
Season: Seven  
  
Spoilers: Season Seven's Chimera and a brief - but very important one - for Heroes. So if you don't   
  
wanna know, then don't read any further. Simple as that.  
  
Category: Character thoughts.  
  
Characters: Jack O'Neill. Sam Carter.   
  
Pairing: S/J, Sam/Other.  
  
Rating: PG13.  
  
Warnings: Language.  
  
File Size: ?  
  
Archive: Jackfic, Carterfic, Helio, Fanfiction.net, Gateworld, SJD, my site….. If anyone else wants it,   
  
just lemme know where you're taking it, so I can come visit.  
  
Disclaimer: Ain't mine! Surprise…. Stargate and it's characters etc, belong to all those folks who   
  
actually make *money* out of them. Any original stuff you may find in there is mine. Tho' sadly, it's   
  
unlikely to ever bring me any cash….  
  
Authors Notes:   
  
As always, thanks go to dragonlady for the beta. Flames will be used to light Teal'c's candles not   
  
like *that*! Get your mind outta the gutter, f'cryin' out loud!. whilst flamees will be named and   
  
whumped – painfully and without comfort -in my next fic. However, constructive feedback (and   
  
criticism) is always gratefully received. Enjoy!  
  
© Chezza 2003  
  
~~~o0o~~~  
  
Jack pushed his plate away with a sigh. Sometimes it was nice to have a proper breakfast in the   
  
morning. Beat fruit loops hands down, especially when you were off out in the field later. Picking up   
  
his coffee, he took a mouthful and gagged as it burnt his tongue and the inside of his mouth. Argh!   
  
Hot! Hot! Hot!   
  
He looked round surreptitiously to see if anyone was looking and seeing that nobody was, he spat it   
  
back out into the mug again. Putting the mug down, he fanned his hand in front of his open mouth.   
  
Water! He needed water! He was fairly sure that he had third degree burns on his tongue…. Sticking   
  
it out and wiggling it around, he crossed his eyes as he tried to see if it really was burnt.  
  
A shout of laughter from the doorway caught his attention and made him shut his mouth with a snap,   
  
as his Second walked in. She was chatting to a couple of the guys from SG-8, as they made their way   
  
over to the breakfast line. Jack blinked. Not only was she chatting, she also had the biggest grin on   
  
her face that he'd ever seen.   
  
Okay, that was weird. She was never normally this cheerful, first thing in a morning. At least not until   
  
she'd had some coffee. He watched as she nearly bounced on her feet, as they stood in line. Okay,   
  
scratch that. She was *never* this cheerful. It was scary. In fact, he mused, cocking his head to one   
  
side as he watched, she was positively…glowing. Ugh. That was such terrible way of putting it and yet   
  
it *was* the best description.   
  
If he didn't know better, he'd say she'd got some last night. Then she looked up and spotted him   
  
across the room. He raised a hand in greeting. A flicker of something – guilt? – flashed across her   
  
face. She raised her own hand in acknowledgement and then quickly turned away, saying something   
  
to one of her companions.  
  
Jack sat stunned for a moment.  
  
'Huh? What was that?'  
  
Then it all fell into place. The realisation of what he'd been cheerfully ignorant about - up until now   
  
anyway - suddenly making itself known. Her happiness in recent weeks; a dramatic contrast to the   
  
sadness that had fallen over her, over all of them, after Janet had…died. Her leaving the base early   
  
for a change, sometimes having 'other plans' when they did team nights – which he'd felt the need to   
  
arrange more often just recently. The big smile, the guilty look….  
  
His stomach gave a queasy roll and he found himself regretting his big breakfast. Apparently he   
  
*didn't* know any better. She *had* got some last night. Which meant she'd found someone. Carter   
  
had got herself a…what? Boyfriend? Lover? Partner? Significant other? Damn. Why hadn't he noticed   
  
before?  
  
He watched as she got her food, trying to get his head round it. It was so obvious now that he knew.   
  
*Why* hadn't he noticed before? Was he really that blind? Or just that plain stupid? He studied her as   
  
she made over to his table, unable to keep herself from grinning happily.   
  
'Good for you, Carter.'  
  
He supposed he ought to feel something about all of this, but frankly? The only thing he seemed to   
  
feel was…kinda numb actually. Not bothered. Or upset. Just…totally and completely calm about the   
  
whole thing. Hmm, maybe he'd used up his entire emotional quota for the year when they lost Janet.  
  
She placed her tray on the table and sat down. She kept her head down, as she tried desperately to   
  
wipe the grin from her face.   
  
"Sir." She murmured.  
  
Her eyes flicked up to his and away, as if she was afraid to meet them and she managed to school   
  
her features into some semblance of a blank face. Jack felt a sudden flash of frustration. Okay, they   
  
needed to get past this *right* now. He couldn't be doing with her unable to even look him in the   
  
*eye*, just because she'd found someone else and finally got herself a life.   
  
He didn't need her protection and he sure as hell didn't need a sympathy vote. His feelings were his   
  
own problem and he didn't need anyone else – especially not *her* - trying to spare them. He was   
  
managing to deal with them quite well enough by *himself*, thank you very much. Not bad,   
  
considering the realisation that *something* was going on, had only slapped him round the head like a   
  
two by four, a few minutes ago.   
  
It really wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, he mused. He'd always kinda thought that if, no   
  
*when* - because it had always been on the cards, hadn't it – she found someone, it would be a   
  
vicious, never-ending, fiery pain in his chest. Sort of like what he imagined it would feel like, if   
  
someone dug his heart out of his chest with a blunt spoon and jumped up and down on it a few times.   
  
His heart, not the spoon.  
  
Not that he actually spent a lot of time imaging people doing that to him. Or thinking about what would   
  
happen when Carter found herself a guy. And it sure as hell wasn't a metaphor for that happening or   
  
anything. Really. He just…had a good imagination. Yeah, that was precisely it. A good imagination.  
  
But it didn't feel like that. It was more of a…dull ache. Yeah, definitely an ache. Maybe with a slight   
  
burning sensation. Kinda like heartburn in fact. But that would pass in time. He knew it would,   
  
because it had with Charlie. Eventually. Just the ache remained now. It would never go away, but it   
  
was bearable.   
  
In fact it was more than bearable. He didn't even really notice it now. Not unless something happened   
  
to forcibly remind him. Which happened less and less these days as well. At first, every little thing   
  
reminded him. Now it was down to his birthday. Christmas. Father's Day. The day…it…happened.   
  
Occasionally if he saw kids playing…but that was all.  
  
Jack sat back in surprise and lifted his mug to cover up his sudden shock. Wow. It looked like he'd   
  
managed to bypass denial, zip straight through anger and end up at acceptance on this one, without   
  
even trying. MacKenzie would be shocked. Not that he'd ever actually find out. But still, it was pretty   
  
damn impressive. Especially when you considered all the other crap that he was supposedly still   
  
carrying around. Of course it probably helped that he'd had several years to get used to the idea.   
  
Three years of sitting alone at home, working through all the reasons why it would never work out   
  
between them – 'so deal with it Jack and get on with your life' - probably helped. But he wasn't going   
  
to go there.  
  
"Major." He replied absently, his mind still reeling.   
  
He was okay with it. He was *really* okay with it. It simply didn't bother him. Well it *did*, but he wasn't   
  
going to let it bother him. His mind had given a metaphorical shrug of it's shoulders, said 'shit   
  
happens' and moved on. Wow indeed. He didn't even hate this guy, whoever he was. He wanted to,   
  
but he didn't. *Damn*. He'd never expected *that*. Wouldn't have thought it in a million years. Never   
  
expected to be okay with anyone *ever* dating Carter, except for himself. But he was. It was making   
  
Carter happy, so…he was happy. Well, *damn* again. He didn't think he had it in him to be so open-  
  
minded. Who *said* you couldn't teach old dogs new tricks?  
  
In actual fact, he felt kinda cheated. He wanted to be able to hate this guy. He wanted to be able to   
  
act out over it, he wanted to make her life hell for a few weeks. Actually, scratch that, no he didn't. He   
  
couldn't do that to Carter – Teal'c would kill him - and the rest? So clichéd…not to mention he'd then   
  
have to put up with Daniel getting at him every five seconds. Which he was probably going to have to   
  
do *anyway*, until he convinced him that things were fine. Really.  
  
Forgetting, he took a large gulp of coffee and nearly choked as the scalding hot liquid hit his already   
  
tender mouth. Shit! He blinked rapidly to dispel the tears that were rapidly forming in his eyes. He   
  
couldn't spit it out again. Not in company. Wouldn't be good for his image. He swallowed and the   
  
liquid burned down the back of his throat of his throat like liquid fire. *Jeez*, he hated when that   
  
happened!   
  
He could still feel the hot liquid, as it travelled downwards inside his chest. Forget the other stuff.   
  
*This* was heartburn! Crap! He was really gonna have to have words with Luke about the coffee in   
  
this place. It was damn near to being a hazardous substance. If he didn't know any better, he'd say it   
  
was deliberate.  
  
She gave him a concerned glance. "Are you okay, sir?"  
  
"Fine." He croaked. "Other than just having had my throat lining stripped off, I'm fine."  
  
She gave a small smile and went back to concentrating on her plate.  
  
'It wasn't a *joke* Carter. No really…it wasn't.'  
  
But she didn't seem to notice. The grin was now back in place despite her best efforts, playing   
  
around the edges of her mouth as she attacked her food.  
  
'Worked up an appetite, did we?'   
  
Jack thought wickedly. Then rolled his eyes at his own behaviour. So much for it not bothering him.   
  
God, he was pathetic. Maybe Teal'c was still in the gym. He could go and get the crap kicked out of   
  
him for a while. The way he was feeling, he may even get a few hits in himself.  
  
She kept flicking little glances at him, as if she was unsure what to say. Probably trying to find some   
  
way to broach the subject. Or, maybe he wouldn't…this could be interesting, Jack thought with a   
  
mischievous grin. She didn't know he was fine with things. He was, *really*. It was just gonna take   
  
some getting used to, that's all.   
  
'Yeah *right*. Who are you fooling, Jack O'Neill? '  
  
Jack forced the thoughts away as Sam caught his grin. Her next glance was longer, resting on it and   
  
then giving him a worried look, before flicking away again.   
  
'Heh. Making you nervous am I, Carter? Not sure if I know something or not?'  
  
Yep, there was definite squirmage potential there. Now how to make the most of it? She did deserve   
  
a little something, after all. For…for – 'think of a reason, Jack' - not mentioning it to him earlier. Yeah,   
  
that was a good one.   
  
He liked to think that he'd tell her if he ever met someone. Granted it was highly unlikely to ever   
  
happen, but still – it was the whole principle of the thing. He'd tell *her*, even if he didn't mention it to   
  
anyone else. It was only fair. Plus his *feelings* - ugh, dreadful word - had cheated him out of the   
  
chance to be anything other than *nice* to her over the whole thing, even if he wasn't jumping for joy   
  
about it. Which simply wasn't *fair*. He should be allowed *some* form of enjoyment out of this, at   
  
least.  
  
Hmm, Jack wondered thoughtfully. What would her reaction be, if he casually dropped it into the   
  
conversation? Heh. Now *that* would be something to see! In fact, he was gonna do it. It was just a   
  
question of picking the right moment.  
  
  
  
He watched her thoughtfully, schooling his face to a sober expression. Didn't want to give the game   
  
away by grinning his ass off. That was currently her department. He had to wait for the right moment,   
  
to say the right thing. Something that would kick-start the conversation, let her know that he was okay   
  
with it – *honestly*. Okay so he wasn't, not quite yet, but he was getting there - and provide maximum   
  
entertainment value at the same time. It was a delicate operation that required precision timing.  
  
And suddenly, there it was. The perfect moment. Jack's lips twitched as he struggled to maintain a   
  
neutral face. She had *no* idea what was about to happen….  
  
He watched as she raised her glass to her lips.   
  
"So Carter", he said.   
  
She looked him, taking a large mouthful, kinda like he'd done earlier with his coffee.  
  
"What's his name?"  
  
Yep. There went the orange juice.  
  
Timing really was everything….  
  
~~~End~~~ 


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